


A Very Happy Purr-thday!

by unacctmango



Category: Free!
Genre: Cats, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 06:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12599892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacctmango/pseuds/unacctmango
Summary: Makoto expects to have a normal day, but several run-ins with cats and some mysterious behaviors by his friends make him think differently. What exactly are they planning?





	A Very Happy Purr-thday!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EternalDarkEyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalDarkEyes/gifts).



> This is a gift for EternalDarkEyes for the 2017 Makoto Birthday Fanworks Exchange! 
> 
> I really hope you like this EternalDarkEyes, it was so much fun to write. I expanded on the prompt you gave, but I still think it's tooth-rottingly sweet (I tried to be clever on the title as well). I hope this can help you enjoy Makoto's birthday (and the S3 announcement) even more!! :)

As always, he didn’t want to get up. As always, he got ready in a half-awake state, showered, dressed and prepared for the day. He shoveled food down as his siblings made a racket, asking him questions he barely registered. As always, it wasn’t until he left the house with a “See you later!” that he started to truly wake up. The crisp air nipped at his fingers, stinging him awake even more. As always, he looked up the steps, up towards Haru’s house. He couldn’t help but feel excited, eager to see his best friend like he did every day. 

Makoto made his way up the steps to Haru’s house. He didn’t expect Haru to answer the doorbell, but tried anyway, as always. He waited a few seconds, a few more, then rang again. Again, no answer. Haru would be in the bath, he suspected, trying to get a few more precious moments in the tub before school started. The only way Makoto knew to get him out was by doing it himself. He began to make his way to the back of the house, the unlocked back door an almost assured fact in his daily routine. Something suddenly rustled in the bushes. Makoto froze. It was too early for him to be this riled up, scared by just sounds. 

A small white cat soon emerged from the bushes, padding her way over to him quickly. She was a regular in the neighborhood, often seeking Makoto out for his famous scratches and cuddles. He breathed in a shaky breath, relieved but still slightly spooked, and kneeled down to offer his hand to the fluffy cat. He cooed, scratching under her neck the way he knew she liked it. She was so cute, easily one of his favorite cats (no matter how much he believed he didn’t have one). 

His hand bumped against something unexpected under her chin. Looking closer, Makoto saw a small object, pink and bumpy, tied around her collar. She was more than happy to raise her chin as Makoto grabbed the item, rubbing her chest soothingly. It was…surprisingly heavy. With one hand he awkwardly unwrapped the object, the pink turning out to be thin tissue paper. The object underneath was… hard to take in all at once. Dense wood was carved intricately into the curving form of an orca, twisted around a smaller dolphin. It was painted, but it looked almost….like wood stain? The colors were muted, showed the grain of the wood beneath it that seemed to be made for the animals. It was beautiful, so small, yet so perfect? Makoto didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he heard to front door open behind him. 

Quickly, still scratching the cat, Makoto turned around. He was greeted with the sight of Haru locking the front door, adjusting his satchel as he turned towards him.   
“Haru, I didn’t know you came out!” Makoto stood, cradling the now purring cat in his arms along with the sculpture. Haru just responded with a ‘hmm’. Makoto smiled at him and shuffling his own bag onto his shoulder. 

“There was this little carving attached to her neck” Makoto stroked the cat while showing the object to Haru. He studied it intently, gingerly taking it into his hands.   
“I wonder if it’s okay to keep it though? It looks like it was made with so much care…” Haru handed the carving back to him, heading towards the steps.   
“The cat must have made it for you. You should keep it” Haru said nonchalantly, a small smile in his voice as he turned to Makoto with a slight smile. Makoto puffed out a chuckle, setting the cat down. 

“If you say so Haru-chan” he said, joining Haru as they headed down the stairs. Haru hands the carving back to him, and he put it into his pocket as they head to school, as always.

\-----------------------------------------------

The school day was uneventful, boring even. It seemed to drag on, the promise of a relaxing weekend just barely visible in Makoto’s mind. It was a relief when lunchtime came around. Makoto headed to the rooftop with Haru, scarves wrapped around their necks in anticipation of the crisp air. Rei and Nagisa were already there, food spread out and in the middle of an animated conversation. At the sound of the door opening Nagisa turned around, waving them over. 

“Haru-chan, Mako-chan come here!! I’ve got a surprise!!” Nagisa seemed to be holding something in his other arm as he frantically waved them over.  
“Oh? What is it?” Makoto was mildly interested, but honestly expecting another one of Nagisa’s tricks or weird food finds. 

Instead, Makoto was surprised to find a fluffy calico cat snuggled into Nagisa’s arms. 

“Huh? But-what?? How did he get up here??” Honestly Makoto was dumbfounded. The school was too high up for a cat to get to the roof easily. He crouched closer, petting through the soft fur. The cat chirped happily at him, snuggling even more into Nagisa’s lap. Rei sat to the side, curious smile on his face that Makoto couldn’t see. Haru just stood by Makoto, watching him completely forget about his lunch in favor of spoiling the cat. 

“Well… I might have brought Mr. Kitty here to school for show and tell”, Nagisa sticks his tongue out at Makoto as he gapes, stunned. “He didn’t mind hanging out in my backpack, it’s really big, plus I have lots of spare clothes in there to snuggle with.” 

“You… snuck a cat into school?? Nagisa why?? You could have been caught!” Makoto clutches the cat now to his chest, as if by doing so he could prevent Nagisa’s impish behavior from rubbing off onto the sweet it. 

“Well, the colder weather has been irritating my throat, so I didn’t mind coughing a little more to cover up its meows and purring in class” Rei chimes in, proudly pushing up his glasses. 

“Nice” Haru remarks. Makoto only gapes at Rei as well. 

“But wait Mako-chan it gets even better!!” Nagisa waves his hands around, grabbing his backpack and digging around it.

“How could this get even better?? This isn’t a good situation!!” Makoto whines, despite now cradling the calico, playing with its pink paws. Haru idly toys with its tail, smirking knowingly. 

“Aaaand… here we go!!” Nagisa triumphantly pulls out a dozen or so chocolate bars, holding them up to Makoto proudly. “Mr. Kitty here happened to be lying on 4000 yen when I found him!! I figured it was a good sign, so I stopped and bought some super fancy chocolate bars and brought Mr. Kitty here with me for good luck today!!”

At this point Makoto is at a loss for words. He eyes the chocolate bars Nagisa is holding up. They are indeed a fancy brand, his mom once bought him one for his birthday as a special treat. They aren’t cheap either. 

Rei clears his throat. “We figured that since you like chocolate so much we would offer them to you, Makoto-senpai.” Nagisa proceeded to shove the candy bars into Makoto’s lap.   
“B-but I can’t accept these!! You bought them, plus they’re so nice!! You should keep them for a special occasion!” Makoto tried to push them away, but Haru gently taking the cat from his lap allowed Nagisa to put them firmly on his legs where the cat was. 

“But I should share all my good luck with my friends! Plus I know you’ll enjoy these much more than I will, I would just eat them all in one day!” Nagisa proudly crossed his arms, Rei smirking happily besides him. Haru had pulled out his lunch, offering several small pieces of his food to the cat. 

“O-okay. I’ll accept them.” Makoto lowered his head in defeat. He put them aside, but was secretly overjoyed with just how much chocolate he had now. 

Nagisa cheers as his success, hugging Makoto while Rei laughs. Soon after they continue with their lunch, offering scraps every so often to the cat.  
The rest of their lunch period is spent talking, petting the cat and discussing their weekend plans. 

\-----------------------------------------------

The rest of the day drags on as well. Makoto gets several text notifications during the day, but waits until after school to check. The last time he’d been caught with his phone out during class had been… not fun.

He finally checks his notifications while he waits for Haru just outside of school, Rei and Nagisa waiting with them. He idly listens to their conversation while de does so, sympathizing with their desire to go swimming even though the weather is getting colder. 

He stops on one text from Rin, one that he missed this morning, it looks like. He exclaimed when he opened it; It’s an invitation to go get coffee near Samezuka after school today! How could he have missed it? Rin must be waiting for a reply!

He struggles on how to answer as Haru comes up to him, sparing a quick greeting as he stares at his phone. 

“Makoto. What is it?” Haru asks gently. Nagisa and Rei have come up to him too. 

“Oh, Rin sent me a text this morning asking if I want to get coffee with him after school. But I didn’t see it until now, and I know we all had planned to go get something to eat so I don’t know how to reply!”

“Wait Mako-chan! We all got the same texts too!! I thought you knew that we all agreed to go meet him instead on the group chat,” Nagisa explained.

“Oh?” Makoto checked through his inbox. “Oh… that was the next thing in my inbox to check.” He rubbed his head, embarrassed. 

“I’m fine with whatever. It has been awhile since we’ve seen Rin” Haru chimed in. He hardly ever turned on his phone, but apparently had been informed of the change of plans somehow. 

“Great! Since we’re all good then we can go meet him! He sent me directions to where he wants to meet.” Rei brings out his phone, pulling up the directions to the place. “Gou got invited too, but she says she’ll meet us there.”

“Oh great! I’m glad that worked out so smoothly!” Makoto replied, starting to text his mom about their plans.

They all made their way over to the train station, Rei guiding them on which train they needed to take. 

\-----------------------------------------------

It was about a twenty-five minute ride to the area where the café is. They all idly chatter on the way, Haru remaining quiet and listening most of the time. 

Makoto isn’t very familiar with the area they end up in. He follows Rei, not paying attention to where they’re going really, as he’s too focused on looking at all the shops and buildings they pass. 

After about ten minutes of walking Rei declares they’re here. ‘Here’ appears to be a small café with a cat as its logo. The storefront is decorated with soft beige and blue designs, and a sign out front reads “Closed for Private Event”. 

Nagisa doesn’t seem to see the sign, and goes to open the door.

“W-wait Nagisa! It says it’s closed! Are you sure this is the right place, Rei??” Makoto worried, looking between the two of them while he holds onto Nagisa’s elbow. 

“Don’t worry Makoto-senpai. I’m sure this is the right location” Rei responds walking into the café, Nagisa and Haru following him with Makoto coming in last hesitantly. Rei is already talking to the receptionist, and soon they’re lead to what seems like a separate section of the café closed off by a glass door and glass walls. Makoto doesn’t see the other people in the room, nor the abundant cat decorations around the café. 

Rei, Nagisa, and Haru enter the room before him. As Makoto enters there’s was a sudden explosion of confetti in his face and accompanying “Surprise!!!!!”

Makoto rubbed his eyes clear, and quickly took in the scene in front of him: Haru, Rei, Nagisa, Rin, Sousuke, Momo, Ai and Kisumi were all around several tables, holding up a banner between them all that said “Happy Birthday Makoto!” Confetti covered the floor, paper-mache decorations of sea life hung from the ceiling, boxes of wrapped presents sat to the side, and various foods and snacks covered the tables. 

He was honestly at loss for words. As he stared dumbly at them, Nagisa grabbed his elbow and sat him down in the middle of the large group. “Surprise Mako-chan! Welcome to your birthday party!!”

“Bu-What?? I thought we decided to go out to celebrate this weekend? How did you all plan this? Did you rent out the entire place just for me???”

“Nah dude, that was just a ploy to distract you. We’ve been planning this things for months. All of us chipped together to rent this place out for a few hours for you.” Rin stood up as he placed a party hat on Makoto’s head, explaining while he did so. 

“I found out about this place a while ago and just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring you here. It’s a cat café, how much more perfect could it get??” Kisumi winked at Makoto.

“Wait, it is??!!!!” Honestly Makoto couldn’t believe his friends had managed to pull this off. He had no idea that this was happening, and that it had remained a secret for so long. 

“Where are the cats then? I-I don’t think I saw any when I came in.”

Haru finally chimed in, “We thought they might get scared by all the excitement. They’ll be let in after you open presents and we do the cake.”

Sousuke scooted a cake closer to Makoto, a beautifully decorated one he hadn’t noticed before. “Speaking of cake, why don’t we go ahead and have some?”

Everyone gathered around Makoto and the cake and sang him happy birthday soon afterwards. Nagisa said he picked it out with the help of Haru, so Makoto was surprised it tasted as good as it did. Everyone got him some small gift, which he opened afterwards. When it came time for Haru, Nagisa, Rei, and Gou to give him their gifts though, Makoto got another surprise. 

Gou explained that all his run-ins with cats today hadn’t been random, but planned by the four of them in order to give him their gifts. The carved figure was from Haru (predictably) and the chocolate was something that Nagisa, Rei and Gou had all saved up for together. Makoto tried to protest even more about getting them after that, but Gou only gave him a heartfelt letter from them all in response. That easily shut him up (and caused a few teary eyes when read).

Makoto was practically vibrating with excitement by the time the cats were allowed to come in. Around ten cats were let in, ranging from several ridiculous kittens to a slow old black tom cat. At that point he honestly forgot about everyone else in the room and proceeded to spend the next hour and half on the floor playing with them. He was totally engrossed, enough to not even notice the multiple cameras going off or that everyone else had joined him on the floor to play. 

All too soon their time at the café ran out. Makoto was very hesitant to leave, but felt optimistic knowing that this place was close enough to visit again. On the train ride back home with everyone he couldn’t help but feel so incredibly grateful and loved. Today had been a very unexpected and unusual day, but the effort and care his friends had shown was nothing unexpected. As always, he knew that his friends were there for him.


End file.
